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<br />Water Deliveries to Users <br /> <br />Delivery of water to different users are affected dramatically by different scenarios, depending on <br />streamflow changes and the application of the law of the river. For example, in the base case, deliveries <br />to the Central Arizona Project would ordinarily fall to their minimum level 20 percent of the time and <br />scheduled deliveries are met or exceeded 40 percent of the time. If runoff drops 5 percent, our results <br />suggest that full scheduled deliveries will be met in only 25 percent of the years and that in half of the years, <br />only minimum levels are delivered. <br /> <br />Although the delivery data suggest that Mexico is affected only in extreme cases, the quality of <br />Mexican water decreases significantly. In fact, all Lower Basin users would suffer a significant decline in <br />water quality (see Salinity), <br /> <br />Hvdroelectrlcltv <br />Under current operating rules. hydroelectricity production, like reservoir storage, Is extremely <br />sensitive to changes In runoff. If flows In the Upper Basin were to decrease by 10 percent, average annual <br />storage decreases by 30 percent and power production drops by 26 percent. A decrease In flows of 20 <br />percent would reduce storage by 63 percent and power production by nearly 50 percent. An Increase In <br />flows of 10 percent would Increase storage by 28 percent and power generation by 21 percent. <br /> <br />In the Lower Basin, a 10 percent decrease In runoff reduces storage by 30 percent and power <br />production by 36 percent. A drop In runoff of 20 percent reduces Lower Basin storage by 50 percent and <br />power production by 65 percent. <br /> <br />Sallnltv <br />The most critical concern for the Lower Basin Is salinity and salinity Is the only water-quality <br />parameter studied. Even In the baSe-case scenario salinity criteria are consistently exceeded at all points <br />In the Lower Basin for most years. Decreases In runoff of only 5 percent cause salinity criteria to be <br />exceeded In virtually all years. Even If average flows were to Increase by 20 percent, salinity criteria are <br />exceeded continuously for long periods. <br /> <br />Under almost no climate-change circumstances can existing water-quality criteria be met given <br />projected demands and operating constraints. Our results suggest that at least a 20 percent Increase In <br />natural runoff would be necessary to bring the salinity levels In the Lower Basin Into compliance with existing <br />criteria, In the absence of other activities to reduce salinity In the river. <br /> <br />Seasonal Tlmlna of Runoff <br />A variety of recent hydrologic analyses have suggested that changes In the seasonality of runoff may <br /> <br />xII <br />